Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to an apparatus and method for use with a controlled gas atmosphere. More particularly, the apparatus and method of the present invention relates to an electronic fill in a water jacketed incubator.
There are a number of commercial applications that utilize a controlled gas atmosphere enclosure. For example, in the semiconductor industry, gases are injected into an enclosed chamber, wherein one of the gases is plasmarized and strikes a target on a chamber lid causing the target""s materials to deposit on a wafer. Other commercial applications include using controlled gases to cultivate biological cultures in an enclosed chamber, such as an incubator.
It is desirable to maintain optimal conditions inside the incubator in order to promote the desired growth of the cultures. In a conventional incubator, gasses such as O2, N2, and CO2 are introduced from their respective tanks into the chamber depending on the growing conditions desired. Typically, the user sets the CO2 and O2 setpoints and appropriate gases are added or depleted to reach the setpoints.
Most biological incubators are either forced draft or water jacket. In the forced draft incubator, the inner space is lined with insulation instead of a water jacket. Heating of the chamber is provided by having a duct, a fan, and a heating element within the chamber. The air is typically circulated by the fan and heated by the heating element within the duct. The air is blown with more force than in the water jacket incubators in order to have more uniform circulation of the air and thus, the temperature in the chamber is uniform.
A water jacket incubator has a jacket that surrounds an inner chamber of the incubator. The water jacket is filled with water and heated to the desired temperature. Typically, the water jacket is filled manually and requires time away from experiments by the researcher. Additionally, because the water jacket is filled manually, over-filling can occur.
Therefore, there is a need for an apparatus and method to quickly fill the water jacket of an incubator with the desired liquid. Additionally, there is a need for an incubator that can be filled with the liquid to the desired level and not over-fill.
The present invention generally relates to an apparatus and method to fill a water jacketed incubator with liquids. An embedded control system is used to open and close the fill port with a valve, such as a solenoid. The solenoid can be opened by actuating a switch or a control button on the user interface panel. The solenoid can also be opened and closed automatically by the control system. Additionally, a sensor, such as a fill level sensor, is in communication with the control system and can measure when the liquid is at the desired fill level so that the water jacket does not over-fill.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a filling apparatus for an enclosed chamber may include a water jacket that can surround an inner chamber of the enclosed chamber, a controller that can control the operation of the enclosed chamber, and a valve that can be communication with the water jacket and the controller, said valve can allow liquids to fill the water jacket. The filling apparatus can further include an actuator that when actuated can open or can close the valve. The actuator can be a switch, a control button, other actuating device, and a combination thereof and the actuator can be manually actuated. The filling apparatus can also include a sensor that can sense the amount of liquid in the water jacket and that can be in communication with the controller. The sensor can communicate the amount of liquid in the incubator with the controller so that the controller can open the valve to fill the water jacket or can close the valve to stop filling the water jacket. The sensor can be a fill level sensor and the valve can be a solenoid. The controller can be in communication with the valve and can open or close the valve based on a period of time. The period of time can be every hour, everyday, every other day, once a week, every other week, at the end of the shift, at the beginning of the shift, at a maintenance period, other time periods and a combination thereof. The controller can open or close the valve based on an event and the event can be before or after the first batch of samples is run, before or after the last batch of samples are run, before or after two batches are run, before or after three batches are run or before or after any other events that is desired by the operator, and a combination thereof. When the valve is opened liquid is allowed to fill the water jacket and when the valve is closed liquid is not allowed to fill the water jacket.
In another embodiment, a method of filling liquids into an enclosed chamber is provided and can include filling a water jacket with a liquid, said water jacket surrounds an inner chamber of the enclosed chamber, and controlling the filling of the water jacket with a valve that can be in communication with the water jacket. The method of filling can further include controlling the valve with a controller, measuring the amount of liquid in the water jacket with a sensor, and communicating the amount of liquid in the water jacket to the controller. Communicating the amount of liquid to the controller so that the controller can open or close the valve and controlling the filling can be done by the controller opening or closing the valve. The method of filling liquids can further include actuating the valve with an actuator, wherein the actuator can communicate with the valve to open or close.
In still another embodiment, a filling system for an enclosed chamber means can include a means for filling a containing means with a liquid, said containing means can surround an inner chamber means of the enclosed chamber means, and a means for controlling the filling of the containing means that can be in communication with the means for filling. The filling system can further include a means for sensing the amount of liquid in the containing means, and a means for actuating the means for filling, wherein the means for filling, the means for controlling, means for sensing and the means for actuating can be in communication with each other. The means for filling can be opened or closed by the means for controlling. The means for sensing can communicate the amount of the liquid to the means for controlling so that the means for controlling can open or close the means for filling, as needed. The means for actuating can open or close the means for filling and can be selected from a switch means, a control button, other control means and a combination thereof. The means for filling can be a solenoid and the means for sensing can be a fill level sensor. The means for controlling with the means for actuating can actuate the means for filling based on a period of time or an event. The period of time can be every hour, everyday, every other day, once a week, every other week, at the end of the shift, at the beginning of the shift, at a maintenance period, other time periods and a combination thereof and the event can be before or after the first batch of samples is run, before or after the last batch of samples are run, before or after two batches are run, before or after three batches are run or before or after any other events that is desired by the operator, and a combination thereof.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described below and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.